Swab-type applicator with impregnated medicament



United States Patent Ofiice 3,343,540 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 3,343,540SWAB-TYPE APPLICATOR WITH IMPREGNATED MEDICAMENT Frederick P. Siege],Chicago, Ill., assignor to Frederick P. Siege], Chicago, Ill., andHoward S. Siege], Skokie, Ill. No Drawing. Filed Apr. 27, 1964, Ser. No.362,927 9 Claims. (Cl. 128-269) This invention relates to an applicatorand particularly, to an applicator for the disposition of a topicalagent on a body surface. In an optimum embodiment, the invention relatesto a medicative applicator.

The use of applicators for surface application of medicaments is common.In one form, such applicators may comprise an absorbent wad, such as acotton wad, aifixed to the end of a thin stem, such as a wooden stem,plastic stem or paperboard stem. In the use of such applicators, it isnecessary to dip the absorbent wad into a bottle containing a medicativeingredient or to obtain the medicament from another external supplybefore it can be applied to the desired area.

In another form of applicator, a larger absorbent wad, such as cottonpad or gauze pad, may be used without a supporting stem. Suchapplicators are held directly in the hand during use in topicalapplication.

The necessity of keeping bottles and tubes containing niedicaments onhand has many disadvantages, the primary one being that of storagedifficulties. In small dispensaries, first aid stations and first aidkits in particular, the lack of storage facilities is an acute problem.In hospitals where storage facilities are adequate the necessity ofopening bottles and tubes and applying the medicament to the applicatorwad is troublesome and may result in spillage and a generallyinefficient operation.

Many sanitary problems are incurred in the use of medicament bottles andtubes which have been exposed to opening thereof. As an example, theointment within a tube can be easily contaminated if the member whichreceived the preceding eliminated ointment contained surface germs.

In the present invention the foregoing difficulties are obviated in thatthere is provided a disposable medicative applicator including a wad ofabsorbent material which is impregnated with a medicinal ingredientcarried by a water dispersible low melting point resinous material indry form. In a preferred embodiment the applicator comprises a wadaffixed to at least one end of a stern.

In accordance with the invention, the medicative applicator is made byinitially forming a uniform liquid mixture containing the medicinalingredient, or medicament, and a melt of its resin carrier, impregantingthe absorbent wad with said liquid mixture and thereafter cooling andsolidifyin said mixture impregnated on said wad. The medicant isdispersed in the melted resin, either as a true solution therein, or asa colloidal solution, or as a suspension, depending on the nature andconcentration of the medicament and the nature of the resin. Usually theliquid mixture is prepared by adding the desired amount of medicament,with stirring, to a batch of melted resin.

The absorbent wad, which is preferably composed of cotton, is dippedinto the liquid mixture to thereby impregnate the wad, and is thenremoved from the mixture bath and allowed to solidify by cooling.

The water dispersible resinous material is preferably a water solublematerial capable of forming a true solution in water, but materialscapable of forming stable emulsions, particularly in the presence of asurfactant, may also be used.

The resulting applicator with its resin coated wad can be labeled withthe name of the medicinal ingredient stamped or indicated by other meanson the applicator stem. Of course, the applicators could be placed inboxes which are so labeled. When it is necessary to apply the particularmedication, the wad is dipped into a water supply so that the resin iscaused to soften and partially dissolve, and the wad is then applied tothe zone requiring medication.

This invention is not restricted to the use of any particular waterdispersible low melting point resinous material, nor does it relate tomedicaments per se.

Of course it is necessary to use a water soluble, low melting pointresin which is non-toxic and a nonirritant. A suitable resin ispolyethylene glycol. Polyethylene glycol is sold commercially asCarbowax (a trademark of Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Company). Thepolyethylene glycols are available in the variety of grades, are waxy inappearance and texture and have a relatively low melting point.Polyethylene glycol 400 melts at about 25% C. while polyethylene glycol4000 has a melting point of approximately 55 C. Polyethylene glycol 400,which is considerably softer than polyethylene glycol 4000, improves thesmoothness and uniformity of the resulting coating, when it is combinedwith the latter.

Other suitable water dispersible, low melting point resins which couldbe used in accordance with the invention are the polyoxyalkylenederivatives of lanolins and lanolin alcohols, polyoxyalkylenederivatives of cholesterol, polyoxyalkylene derivatives of sorbitol andlanolin, polyoxyethylene sorbitan tristearate, polyoxyethylene laurylether and polyoxyethylene derivatives of sorbitol and beeswax.

Polyethylene glycol is the preferred water soluble resinous carrier notonly because of its low melting point which permits fabrication of theswabs from a melt, but also because of its waxy nature which enables itto act as a lubricant when the applicator is used.

In use, the wad of the applicator is lightly wetted, as by dipping intoa container of water, and the wetted wad is thereafter applied to thebody surface desired to be treated.

The proportions of resin and medicament are obviously dependent upon thenature of the medicament and the amount which is desired at the site ofapplication. Generally at least 40 weight percent of water solubleresin, based on the combined weight of resin and medicament is requiredto act as a carrier base. Amounts of resin between about 40 percent andabout 99.9 percent are suitable and amounts between about 60 percent andabout 99 percent are preferred.

Example I For the treatment of acne:

Salicyclic acid g 2 Hexachlorophene g 1 Polyethylene glycol 400 g 20Polyethylene glycol 4000 q.s ml 100 Example 11 For removal of cerurnen:

Urea peroxide g 6 Polyethylene glycol 400 g 10 Polyethylene glycol 4000q.s mL- 100 Example 111 As a styptic agent:

Alum g 50 Polyethylene glycol 4000 q.s ml 100 3 Example IV As ananti-inflammatory agent: Hydrocortisone mg 250 Phenol g 5 Polyethyleneglycol 400 g 20 Polyethylene glycol 4000 q.s ml 100 Example V As a skinantiseptic:

Grams Benzalkonium chloride 0.01

Polychol 15 (trademark designation for ethoxylated lanolin alcoholhaving about 15 ethylene oxide units) Light mineral oil 15 Water ExampleVI As a skin antiseptic:

Grams Resorcinol 1.0 Polyethylene glycol 400 1.0 Polychol 50.0Polyethylene glycol 4000 48.0 Example VII As a skin antiseptic:

Grams Hyamine 1622 (trademark designation for diisobutyl phenoxy ethoxyethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride) 0.01 Water 5.0 Beeswax -a 50.0Spermaceti 5.0 Mineral oil 5.0 Polyethylene glycol 4000 5.0

Other medicinal agents which may be applied to swabs in waterdispersible low melting point resins in accordance with this inventioninclude local anesthetics for topical application, such as benzocaineand butacaine; protective materials, such as zinc oxide, titaniumdioxide and zirconium oxide; anti-infective or antibacterial agents,such as tetracycline, hexachlorophene, bithionol, phenol, resorcinol andneomycin; anti-histamines, such as chlorpheniramine maleate;keratolytics, such as salicyclic acid; anti-fungal agents, such assalicylic acid, undecylenic acid and zinc undecylenate; astringents,such as zinc oxide and aluminum salts; and surface active agents, suchas benzalkonium chloride and sodium lauryl sulfate.

Those skilled in the art will have no difiiculty in determining suitableproportions of the above agents to be used from the knownpharmacological properties of these agents in other media.

In addition to the advantages enumerated above, the use of thisinvention provides greater stability for those medicinal and othertopical ingredients which are susceptible to degradation or bacterial ina wet state. In the solid anhydrous form in which the topical agents aremaintained in accordance with this invention, their resistance todegradation is enhanced.

Furthermore, the use of this invention permits controlled application oftopical agents and provides a prac tical means to avoid the applicationof excessive amounts of such agents, as might be the tendency withointments and liquids.

The invention has been described as applied to preferred embodiments andit will be understood that various substitutions and changes may beefiected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novelconcepts and principles of this invention.

I claim:

1. A medicative applicator which comprises a stem having a wad ofabsorbent material afiixed to at least one end thereof, said absorbentmaterial being impregnated with a mixture comprising a medicinalingredient carried by a water dispersible low melting point resinousmaterial.

2. A medicative applicator which comprises a t having a wad of cottonaflixed to at least one end thereof, said cotton being impregnated witha mixture comprising, by weight, a medicinal ingredient from about 0.1percent to about 60 percent carried by a water soluble low melting pointresin from about 40 percent to about 99.9 percent.

3. A medicative applicator which comprises a stern having a wad ofcotton affixed to at least one end thereof, said cotton beingimpregnated with a mixture comprising, by weight, a medicinal ingredientfrom about 0.1 percent to about 60 percent carried by polyethyleneglycol from about 40 percent to about 99.9 percent.

4. A medicative applicator which comprises a stem having a wad of cottonaflixed to at least one end thereof, said cotton being impregnated witha mixture comprising, by weight, a medicinal ingredient from about 0.1percent to about 60 percent carried by a polyoxyalkylene derivative oflanolin from about 40 percent to about 99.9 percent.

5. A medicative applicator which comprises a stern having a stem with awad of absorbent material aflixed to of, said cotton being impregnatedwith a mixture comprising, by Weight, a medicinal ingredient from about0.1 percent to about 60 percent carried by a polyoxyalkylene derivativeof a lanolin alcohol from about 40 percent to about 99.9 percent.

6. The method of preparing a medicative applicator having a stem with awad of absorbent material afi'ixed to at least one end thereof,comprising the steps of forming a uniform liquid mixture comprising amedicinal ingredient and a melted water dispersible resin, applying saiduniform liquid mixture to said absorbent material, and solidifying bycooling a resin-medicinal ingredient composition from the mixture whichhas been applied to said absorbent material.

7. The method of preparing a medicative applicator having a stem with awad of absorbent material aflixed to at least one end thereof,comprising the steps of forming a uniform liquid mixture comprising, byweight, a medicinal ingredient from about 0.1 percent to above 60percent carried by polyethylene glycol from about 40 percent to about99.9 percent, applying said uniform liquid mixture to said absorbentmaterial, and cooling the mixture which has been applied to saidabsorbent mate rial to solidify it.

8. The method of preparing a medicative applicator having a stem with aWad of absorbent material afiixed to at least one end thereof,comprising the steps of forming a uniform liquid mixture comprising, amedicinal ingredient and a melt of a polyoxyalkylene derivative oflanolin, applying said uniform liquid mixture to said absorbent materialand solidifying the mixture which has been applied to said absorbentmaterial.

9. The method of preparing a medicative applicator having a stem with awad of absorbent material affixed to at least one end thereof,comprising the steps of forming a uniform liquid mixture comprising, amedicinal ingredient and a melt of a polyoxyalkylene derivative of alanolin alcohol, applying said uniform liquid mixture to said absorbentmaterial, and solidifying the mixture which has been applied to saidabsorbent material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,020,107 11/1935 Cruickshank128271 2,244,027 6/1941 Smith 128-271 2,467,884 4/ 1949 Elias. 2,579,40312/1951 SlomowitZ et al. 128269 2,696,456 12/1954 Hetterick 128271 X2,705,009 3/1955 Plantinga et a1 128269 RICHARD A. GAUDET, PrimaryExaminer.

CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,343,540

September 26, 196

Frederick P. Siegel It is hereby certified that error appears in theabove numbered patent requiring correction and that the said LettersPatent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 19, for "25% C." read 25 C.

column 4, lines 23 and Z4, strike wad of absorbent material affixedhaving a wad of cotton affixed to Signed and sealed this 8th day SEAL)meet:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

testing Officer out "having a stem with a to of" and insert instead atleast one end thereof of October 1968.

EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents

1. A MEDICATIVE APPLICATOR WHICH COMPRISES A STEM HAVING A WAD OFABSORBENT MATERIAL AFFIXED TO A LEAST ONE END THEREOF, SAID ABSORBENTMATERIAL BEING IMPREGNATED WITH A MIXTURE COMPRISING A MEDICINALINGREDIENT CARRIED BY A WATER DISPERSIBLE LOW MELTING POINT RESINOUSMATERIAL.